Auto Cruise Question

[jt233 10]

Hello I really want to do a super long haul flight in the 747 but it seems I have had a couple problems in the past with the plane not automatically handling the fuel tanks even though I enable it in the settings of the FMC. Also when I enter the fuel into the plane via the FMC then I have to set the correct pumps which i thought the computer should do. Do I need to do anything extra to engage the auto cruise. I want to run a flight in real time overnight

 

Thanks

[Captain Kevin 586]

I don't think the 747 even has auto-cruise. At least I'm not seeing that option, looking at the intro manual. Are you talking about the auto step-climb?

[jt233 10]

1 hour ago, Captain Kevin said:

I don't think the 747 even has auto-cruise. At least I'm not seeing that option, looking at the intro manual. Are you talking about the auto step-climb?

There is an option to auto-configure the fuel when reaching tank/eng as shown in the photo below but maybe I'm confused on what it does

 https://imgur.com/a/wGikA5V

Thanks

[spesimen 135]

5 hours ago, jt233 said:

Hello I really want to do a super long haul flight in the 747 but it seems I have had a couple problems in the past with the plane not automatically handling the fuel tanks even though I enable it in the settings of the FMC. Also when I enter the fuel into the plane via the FMC then I have to set the correct pumps which i thought the computer should do. Do I need to do anything extra to engage the auto cruise. I want to run a flight in real time overnight

auto-cruise is engaged by right clicking the switch on the chronometer. i haven't used those other options but i'd guess they only are active if you enable the mode. i think if you want it to stay in realtime you can to change the auto-time compression to 1x

 

cheers,

-andy crosby

 

[Captain Kevin 586]

1 hour ago, spesimen said:

auto-cruise is engaged by right clicking the switch on the chronometer. i haven't used those other options but i'd guess they only are active if you enable the mode. i think if you want it to stay in realtime you can to change the auto-time compression to 1x

That would be auto time compression, not auto-cruise. If you want to stay in real time, you wouldn't touch it at all.

5 hours ago, jt233 said:

There is an option to auto-configure the fuel when reaching tank/eng as shown in the photo below but maybe I'm confused on what it does

When tanks 2 and 3 get to the same fuel level as tanks 1 and 4, you're supposed to turn off the crossfeeds to 1 and 4 and turn off the override fuel pumps. Auto fuel/tank configuration simply allows you to have it done automatically if you so desire.

[vc10man 732]

Spot-on answers, Kevin. That's exactly how I configure and fly the Queen.

[downscc 1,327]

OP was not very clear, maybe the question is why the center wing tank pumps are not automatically turned off?  The answer is because it was an intentional decision not to do that by the developers.

[jt233 10]

On 7/27/2018 at 10:33 PM, Captain Kevin said:

That would be auto time compression, not auto-cruise. If you want to stay in real time, you wouldn't touch it at all.

When tanks 2 and 3 get to the same fuel level as tanks 1 and 4, you're supposed to turn off the crossfeeds to 1 and 4 and turn off the override fuel pumps. Auto fuel/tank configuration simply allows you to have it done automatically if you so desire.

Thanks for the help. Hopefully it will work this time so I can do a long haul without having to try and be there to manage the fuel.

[jt233 10]

On 7/28/2018 at 11:10 AM, downscc said:

OP was not very clear, maybe the question is why the center wing tank pumps are not automatically turned off?  The answer is because it was an intentional decision not to do that by the developers.

So that means I would still have to manage that part during flight right. The crossfeeds should be done automatically but will still have to manage the center pumps myself 

Thanks

[Captain Kevin 586]

17 minutes ago, jt233 said:

So that means I would still have to manage that part during flight right. The crossfeeds should be done automatically but will still have to manage the center pumps myself 

That is correct. When you fly, once your fuel level in tanks 2 and 3 match tanks 1 and 4, you get an EICAS warning telling you FUEL TANK/ENG, that would indicate that you would turn off the aforementioned crossfeed pumps and the override pumps. The auto tank/engine configuration allows this to be automatically done. The center pumps don't come into play at all because by that point in the flight, the center pumps would have already been off anyway since the center tanks shouldn't have fuel in it.

[downscc 1,327]

2 hours ago, jt233 said:

So that means I would still have to manage that part during flight right. The crossfeeds should be done automatically but will still have to manage the center pumps myself 

Thanks

In addition, the feature was added for TANK/ENG case because there are consequences of not making the configuration change.  There are no consequences in the simulation for running the CWT pumps dry.

[kevinh 409]

On 7/27/2018 at 11:38 PM, Captain Kevin said:

I don't think the 747 even has auto-cruise. At least I'm not seeing that option, looking at the intro manual. Are you talking about the auto step-climb?

The PMDG 747 does have auto-cruise. Exactly like the 777, including time compression and auto step climb, with the addition of handling tank-engine configuration.

If you press the CDU MENU button the AUTO CRUISE prompt appears on the bottom right hand side.

[downscc 1,327]

6 hours ago, kevinh said:

The PMDG 747 does have auto-cruise. Exactly like the 777, including time compression and auto step climb, with the addition of handling tank-engine configuration.

If you press the CDU MENU button the AUTO CRUISE prompt appears on the bottom right hand side.

LOL Kevin.  The Menu is titled AUTO CRUISE but that menu includes AUTO STEP CLIMB, PAUSE AT TOD.... etc and AUTO TIME COMPRESSION. 

[kevinh 409]

5 hours ago, downscc said:

LOL Kevin.  The Menu is titled AUTO CRUISE but that menu includes AUTO STEP CLIMB, PAUSE AT TOD.... etc and AUTO TIME COMPRESSION. 

Yes I know Dan, but the person I replied to didn't seem to get that Auto Cruise meant all those things together. I mentioned the CDU menu prompt to emphasise that the 747 did indeed have auto cruise.

Edited August 5, 2018 by kevinh

[Captain Kevin 586]

On 8/5/2018 at 6:43 PM, kevinh said:

Yes I know Dan, but the person I replied to didn't seem to get that Auto Cruise meant all those things together. I mentioned the CDU menu prompt to emphasise that the 747 did indeed have auto cruise.

Fair enough. This is what happens when you read only part of the intro manual based on part of a question. I was looking at the simulation settings based on the original question regarding fuel, and naturally, those pages aren't labelled other than by page number. I see it now. You were right. My apologies.